笔趣阁

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第92章（第1页）

“Ifyourmasterwouldmarry，youmightseemoreofhim.”

“Yes，sir;butIdonotknowwhenthatwillbe.Idonotknowwhoisgoodenoughforhim.”

Mr.andMrs.Gardinersmiled.Elizabethcouldnothelpsaying，“Itisverymuchtohiscredit，Iamsure，thatyoushouldthinkso.”

“Isaynomorethanthetruth，andeverybodywillsaythatknowshim，”

repliedtheother.Elizabeththoughtthiswasgoingprettyfar;andshelistenedwithincreasingastonishmentasthehousekeeperadded，“Ihaveneverknownacrosswordfromhiminmylife，andIhaveknownhimeversincehewasfouryearsold.”

Thiswaspraise，ofallothersmostextraordinary，mostoppositetoherideas.Thathewasnotagood-temperedmanhadbeenherfirmestopinion.Herkeenestattentionwasawakened;shelongedtohearmore，andwasgratefultoheruncleforsaying:

“Thereareveryfewpeopleofwhomsomuchcanbesaid.Youareluckyinhavingsuchamaster.”

“Yes，sir，IknowIam.IfIweretogothroughtheworld，Icouldnotmeetwithabetter.ButIhavealwaysobserved，thattheywhoaregood-naturedwhenchildren，aregood-naturedwhentheygrowup;andhewasalwaysthesweetest-tempered，mostgenerous-heartedboyintheworld.”

Elizabethalmoststaredather.“CanthisbeMr.Darcy?”

thoughtshe.

“Hisfatherwasanexcellentman，”

saidMrs.Gardiner.

“Yes，maam，thathewasindeed;andhissonwillbejustlikehim—justasaffabletothepoor.”

Elizabethlistened，wondered，doubted，andwasimpatientformore.Mrs.Reynoldscouldinterestheronnootherpoint.Sherelatedthesubjectsofthepictures，thedimensionsoftherooms，andthepriceofthefurniture，invain.Mr.Gardiner，highlyamusedbythekindoffamilyprejudicetowhichheattributedherexcessivecommendationofhermaster，soonledagaintothesubject;andshedweltwithenergyonhismanymeritsastheyproceededtogetherupthegreatstaircase.

“Heisthebestlandlord，andthebestmaster，”

saidshe，“thateverlived;notlikethewildyoungmennowadays，whothinkofnothingbutthemselves.Thereisnotoneofhistenantsorservantsbutwhatwillgivehimagoodname.Somepeoplecallhimproud;butIamsureIneversawanythingofit.Tomyfancy，itisonlybecausehedoesnotrattleawaylikeotheryoungmen.”

“Inwhatanamiablelightdoesthisplacehim!”

thoughtElizabeth.

“Thisfineaccountofhim，”

whisperedherauntastheywalked，“isnotquiteconsistentwithhisbehaviourtoourpoorfriend.”

“Perhapswemightbedeceived.”

“Thatisnotverylikely;ourauthoritywastoogood.”

Onreachingthespaciouslobbyabovetheywereshownintoaveryprettysitting-room，latelyfittedupwithgreatereleganceandlightnessthantheapartmentsbelow;andwereinformedthatitwasbutjustdonetogivepleasuretoMissDarcy，whohadtakenalikingtotheroomwhenlastatPemberley.

“Heiscertainlyagoodbrother，”

saidElizabeth，asshewalkedtowardsoneofthewindows.

Mrs.ReynoldsanticipatedMissDarcysdelight，whensheshouldentertheroom.“Andthisisalwaysthewaywithhim，”

sheadded.“Whatevercangivehissisteranypleasureissuretobedoneinamoment.Thereisnothinghewouldnotdoforher.”

Thepicture-gallery，andtwoorthreeoftheprincipalbedrooms，wereallthatremainedtobeshown.Intheformerweremanygoodpaintings;butElizabethknewnothingoftheart;andfromsuchashadbeenalreadyvisiblebelow，shehadwillinglyturnedtolookatsomedrawingsofMissDarcys，incrayons，whosesubjectswereusuallymoreinteresting，andalsomoreintelligible.

Inthegallerythereweremanyfamilyportraits，buttheycouldhavelittletofixtheattentionofastranger.Elizabethwalkedinquestoftheonlyfacewhosefeatureswouldbeknowntoher.Atlastitarrestedher—andshebeheldastrikingresemblancetoMr.Darcy，withsuchasmileoverthefaceassherememberedtohavesometimesseenwhenhelookedather.Shestoodseveralminutesbeforethepicture，inearnestcontemplation，andreturnedtoitagainbeforetheyquittedthegallery.Mrs.Reynoldsinformedthemthatithadbeentakeninhisfatherslifetime.

Therewascertainlyatthismoment，inElizabethsmind，amoregentlesensationtowardstheoriginalthanshehadeverfeltattheheightoftheiracquaintance.ThecommendationbestowedonhimbyMrs.Reynoldswasofnotriflingnature.Whatpraiseismorevaluablethanthepraiseofanintelligentservant?Asabrother，alandlord，amaster，sheconsideredhowmanypeopleshappinesswereinhisguardianship!—howmuchofpleasureorpainwasitinhispowertobestow!—howmuchofgoodorevilmustbedonebyhim!Everyideathathadbeenbroughtforwardbythehousekeeperwasfavourabletohischaracter，andasshestoodbeforethecanvasonwhichhewasrepresented，andfixedhiseyesuponherself，shethoughtofhisregardwithadeepersentimentofgratitudethanithadeverraisedbefore;sheremembereditswarmth，andsofteneditsimproprietyofexpression.

Whenallofthehousethatwasopentogeneralinspectionhadbeenseen，theyreturneddownstairs，and，takingleaveofthehousekeeper，wereconsignedovertothegardener，whometthematthehall-door.

Astheywalkedacrossthelawntowardstheriver，Elizabethturnedbacktolookagain;heruncleandauntstoppedalso，andwhiletheformerwasconjecturingastothedateofthebuilding，theownerofithimselfsuddenlycameforwardfromtheroad，whichledbehindittothestables.

Theywerewithintwentyyardsofeachother，andsoabruptwashisappearance，thatitwasimpossibletoavoidhissight.Theireyesinstantlymet，andthecheeksofbothwereoverspreadwiththedeepestblush.Heabsolutelystarted，andforamomentseemedimmovablefromsurprise;butshortlyrecoveringhimself，advancedtowardstheparty，andspoketoElizabeth，ifnotintermsofperfectcomposure，atleastofperfectcivility.